A political pioneer

The election of Nancy Astor as MP for Plymouth Sutton changed British democracy forever.

For the first time, here was a woman who was able to directly influence the parliamentary debate and the writing of the laws of their own land. A responsibility she willingly shouldered for all women.

Her courage and resilience in standing alone for almost 2 years in a hostile House established a platform on which women continue to build today. Her arrival in Parliament ushered in a new type of politician, a public woman, a new perspective and a reminder that there was a female electorate who increasingly demanded to be satisfied.

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